FSA Makes Changes to Farm Loan, Disaster, Conservation and Safety Net Programs to Make it Easier for Customers to Conduct Business

FSA Makes Changes to Farm Loan, Disaster,
Conservation and Safety Net Programs to Make it
Easier for Customers to Conduct Business
Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov
(mailto:FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov)
FSA Services Available by Phone Appointment Only

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 26, 2020 – USDA’s Farm Service
Agency (FSA) county offices are open by phone appointment
only until further notice, and FSA staff are available to
continue helping agricultural producers with program signups,
loan servicing and other important actions. Additionally, FSA is
relaxing the loan-making process and adding flexibilities for
servicing direct and guaranteed loans to provide credit to
producers in need.
FSA Service Centers are open for business by phone
appointment only. While our program delivery staff will
continue to come into to the office, they will be working with
our agricultural producers by phone and using email and online
tools whenever possible.
“FSA programs and loans are critical to America’s farmers and
ranchers, and we want to continue our work with customers
while taking precautionary measures to help prevent the
spread of coronavirus,” FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce
said. “We recognize that farm loans are critical for annual
operating and family living expenses, emergency needs and
cash flow through times like this. FSA is working to find and
use every option and flexibility to provide producers with credit
options and other program benefits.”
FSA is delivering programs and services, including:
Farm loans;
Commodity loans;
Farm Storage Facility Loan program;
Disaster assistance programs, including signup for the
Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (this
includes producers now eligible because of losses due to
drought and excess moisture in 2018 and 2019);
Safety net programs, including 2020 signup for the
Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage
programs;
Conservation programs; and
Acreage reports.
Relaxing the Farm Loan-Making Process
FSA is relaxing the loan-making process, including:
Extending the deadline for applicants to complete farm
loan applications;
Preparing Direct Loans documents even if FSA is unable to
complete lien and record searches because of closed
government buildings. Once those searches are complete,
FSA would close the loan; and
Closing loans if the required lien position on the primary
security is perfected, even for loans that require additional
security and those lien searches, filings and recordings
cannot be obtained because of closed government
buildings.
Servicing Direct Loans
FSA is extending deadlines for producers to respond to loan
servicing actions, including loan deferral consideration for
financially distressed and delinquent borrowers.
FSA will temporarily suspend loan accelerations, non-judicial
foreclosures, and referring foreclosures to the Department of
Justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will make the determination
whether to stop foreclosures and evictions on accounts under
its jurisdiction.
Servicing Guaranteed Loans
Guarantee lenders can self-certify, providing their borrowers
with:
Subsequent-year operating loan advances on lines of
credit;
Emergency advances on lines of credit.
FSA will consider guaranteed lender requests for:
Temporary payment deferral consideration when borrowers
do not have a feasible plan reflecting that family living
expenses, operating expenses and debt can be repaid; and
Temporary forbearance consideration for borrowers on loan
liquidation and foreclosure actions.
Contacting FSA
FSA will be accepting additional forms and applications by
facsimile or electronic signature. Some services are also
available online to customers with an eAuth account, which
provides access to the farmers.gov
(https://www.farmers.gov/) portal where producers can view
USDA farm loan information and payments and view and track
certain USDA program applications and payments. Customers
can track payments, report completed practices, request
conservation assistance and electronically sign documents.
Customers who do not already have an eAuth account can
enroll at farmers.gov/sign-in (https://www.farmers.gov/signin).
FSA encourages producers to contact their county office to
discuss these programs and temporary changes to farm loan
deadlines and the loan servicing options available. For Service
Center contact information, visit farmers.gov/coronavirus
(https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.